


Of a thousand worlds

by Littledanceingdragons



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galran Culture (Voltron), Genetic Engineering, Imprisonment, Magic, Pack Dynamics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Kosmo, Protective Krolia (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Psychological Torture, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 14:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20996219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littledanceingdragons/pseuds/Littledanceingdragons
Summary: Shiro and Keith meet in the empire, both locked into the same cell.Can they both get out?OrShiro and Keith work together to escape hell and grow fond and protective over one another along the way.(Updates every Wednesday)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heed the tags guys. It's supposed to be fucked up (not the relationship, the ' environment ' and it's affects) so if you are aware blz don't get mad at me for it bc uh I warned you.

Keith closed his eyes, the thrum of cheers never quite being blocked out. 

_ Champion. Champion. Champion.  _

Nearly snarling Keith presses further against the far wall. It's not enough. The rough sounds are familiar at this point, no matter how much he hates them. 

Hours pass or maybe it's a few days until the beloved champion is thrown into the cell. His body is bloody, purple shirt even more shredded. After a few ticks he doesn't move. The mass of muscle on the floor seemingly unresponsive.

_ Did they take him to the Witch?  _

For an instant worry fills him. It's gone has soon as possible. Keith cannot worry about someone else. He has to get back to his family. To Kolivan, Thace. Ulaz. Regris. His mother. 

But for a small moment he allows himself to worry. A moment of compassion that he cannot risk. 

  
  
  
  


Shiro wants to die. 

Battle after battle they push him through. Everytime he comes out on top, much to the joy of the arena. 

_ Champion. Champion. Champion.  _

He fucking hates that name.  _ My name is Shiro  _ he wants to roar back, louder. The chant continues.  _ Another life ended.  _

The guards don't talk to him, instead they resort to shoving and dragging him along. 

The exhaustion seeping in has the adrenaline stops working. Shiro doesn't register it when they toss him on the floor. He doesn't register the other person in the room. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe they will kill him and he can finally stop being forced to end life after life. 

Blackness takes him before anything else does. Not for the first time he prays he never wakes back up. Not when this hell he's living is worse than dying. 

God, Shiro wants to die. 

  
  
  


Keith studies the human, they lay there for hours. Or maybe days, you can never tell in this cell. The Champion looks a lot more worn down then he first appeared. 

After having some time to study him it's clear to Keith that the man is constantly being pushed too far. The unstable edge under his skin is a sign of nearing a breaking point. 

Keith thinks about what that means. Will he snap and attack the guards? Could it be something he could use has a distraction? Something to get out of here? 

The half breed looks at him and his labored breathing.  _ I don't know if I want to be around when he snaps.  _

He is the Champion after all. 

  
  
  


Days later Shiro wakes up. Eyes blurry, body aching from being on the floor. There's no one in the cell when he wakes up, but that little voice in the back of his mind tells him someone was not long ago. 

Wordlessly he gets up, ignoring the protest of his joints. Settling down right across from the door, where he usually sits.  _ It's better not to back yourself into a corner.  _

_ You want room to move.  _

Hours later they bring in a galra. He's small, even by human standards. Sweat soaks purple skin making it shine under the low lighting. The guards toss him to the floor too, this time they laugh and taunt. 

" You won't last too much longer runt. The Witch will find out what you are hiding. " One of them laughs, amused. Shiro feels his blood run cold.  _ The Witch.  _

Unlike him before the galran clearly wasn't unconscious. The little thing snarls violently, fangs flashing in the lighting.  _ Those fangs could rip out someone's throat.  _

The guards laugh again and leave, the door slid shut behind them. Shiro watches them out of the corner of his eye, partially out of instinct and because he's curious. 

They don't talk, instead opting to drag themselves to the corner. Shiro doesn't move a muscle. 

_ How the fuck did they even get here?  _

Shiro ponders everything he knows. He's never been in a cell with a galra. Let alone heard two members of the same species that seems so unified to be so angry at one another. 

" Why are you here? " He finds the words slipping from his tongue. He's had to kill ' Friends ' fellow prisoners that he's talked to, shared food with.  _ Why did I speak?  _


	2. A bad day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short where Keith and Shiro both have bad days. 
> 
> Or 
> 
> Keith visits the Witch and Shiro is forced to kill again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short because I want the next one to be more then 1k!!!!

Keith closed his eyes. Haggar continues to taunt him. He doesn't know how long it's been. Strapped to a table, dissected like an experiment. 

" Tell me. " She hisses, causing more agony to rack his frame. Keith grits his teeth and snarls right in the witch's face.  _ ' Fuck you. '  _ He mentally screams, unable to open his mouth. 

He can't let her hear him scream.  _ He won't give her the satisfaction.  _

  
  


Shiro hasn't seen his cellmate for a while now. He sits on the floor, wondering where he is.  _ ' Could he be dead? '  _ Shiro shakes his head. 

_ ' No, doesn't feel like it. '  _ But worry does find itself into his gut, something is happening. He just doesn't know if it's too his cellmate or himself. 

The guards open the door.  _ ' Me then. '  _ He's dragged out for another round of fighting. Just like before countless fall before him. 

_ Champion. Champion. Champion. Champion.  _

Keith can hear the screaming and cheering.  _ ' He's in the arena. '  _ His cellmate. The Champion, that hates his title. Breathing slowly, careful not to harm the shattered ribs on his left side. 

" Tell me where the rest of you mutts are hiding! ' she shrieks. The lights flicker. Instead of cowering Keith grins at her, knowing it's sure to get him hurt again. 

" Not a damn chance in fucking hell. " He snarls, keeping his defiance.  _ ' I won't ever submit to you. '  _ The promise goes unspoken but there all the same. 

By the time she's done with him Keith can't feel anything. He looks more galran then before. Purple skin now having different hues. 

  
  
  


Shiro's cellmate gets thrown in, long after the battles are done. He frowns at the pale sheen of purple. 

" We will take you back to the Witch where you belong! " One of the guards crows at him. The defiant galra shoves himself upwards. He scares them off with a nasty snarl that promises for the fronts of their throats to meet the floor. 

Shiro watches them.  _ ' They are leaning on their right side. '  _ His mind notes the weakness automatically. Almost instantly Shiro curses himself. Guilt fills his frame. 

" Are you okay? " 

  
  


Keith barely jolts at the question. He wants to laugh.  _ ' I just got back from the Witch. Are we ever okay after that? '  _

Instead he blinks at the champion. 

" No. Just got back from the Witch- " He coughs violently. Lifting his head, eyes shining with amusement. With blood running down his throat Keith says: " We both know how much that hurts. " 

He doesn't remember anything after that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!! Until next Wednesday!!!


	3. The begining of an adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or Shiro and Keith finally talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dw it's gonna get gay soon I promise! 
> 
> Also early update bc I don't know if I updated last Wednesday and I have extra time!!!!

Shiro watches him, the tense line of his body. 

The way he turns stiff at any sound. All signs of breaking or something else. 

He doesn't know what breaking is. Of all the time he's been here Shiro knows he's never shattered. Never let them shatter him. He knows because Haggar is still trying. 

_ Trying.  _

Taking a deep breath he closes his eyes. Allowing his senses to move about and report back to him. The other galra is still in the corner, body wound tight. 

The guards are doing their normal shift.  _ Two steps. Two guards.  _ Minutes pass.  _ Three. Guns and heavy armour. 19 minutes until the next shift.  _

Shiro feels more like himself after going through the familiar guard routine. His brain screams at him.  _ Someone is watching.  _ He scans the room, eyes landing on the galra. 

" You memorized the guard routine. " 

It's not a guess. 

Shiro has the decency to look a little sheepish. " Ah, well it's been keeping me sane for a year. " 

They still stare at him. The air has changed and Shiro is more than 100% sure they want something from him. 

" Have you ever thought about escaping? " The question is quiet. It's also calculated. 

Shiro of course makes a face at him. " Nooo, " he drawls, " I love being a prisoner and being forced to slaughter Innocents in a fucked up arena. " 

To his surprise that gets a small laugh out of the other. 

_ Since when have you heard anyone laugh here?  _

The galra gives him a smile. " Before I go further, what's your name? " 

He swallows the lump in his throat.  _ Shiro. My name is Shiro. Or well Takashi Shirogane but my friends call me Shiro.  _

He opens his mouth. His own name sounds forgien on his tongue.  _ Yet another thing they took from us.  _

The galra doesn't comment. " My name is Keith. " 

_ A earth name. Earth. Home.  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!!!


	4. Things are stirring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something goes wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter!!!!!! 
> 
> Since it's Halloween I'm busy 😅 but I'm going to try and update later this week as well!!!! To make up for the short chapter!

They've been talking for around two Vargas. 

Keith and Shiro. Before there was a slim chance of escape and now, with one another, there's a chance. 

Shiro does his best to teach Keith the guard routine before the day. Those are stolen moments of time. Of comfort. 

Where no soldier or Haggar can get them. 

" Left Right left left right? " Keith questions ears put up in what Shiro calls the ' Listening position '. 

Shiro smiles and nods. Keith silently cheers with a happy smile. 

The happy air is ripped apart. " Open up! " Haggar screams from the other side of the door. Shiro's blood runs cold,  _ fuck.  _

_ They found out.  _

Keith contacts the blades before they enter. 

  
  
  
  


" Commander! You have a message from Keith. " 

Kolivan feels anticipation drum under his skin.  _ Something is wrong.  _

He opens the message, clawed fingers carefully holding the device. 

_ They found out. Send help now. Don't have much time.  _

He doesn't hesitate to order the selected blades. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you! Sorry for the short chapter!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks guys!!! I hope you liked it!!!! The plan is to update it every Wednesday!!!!!


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